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Wed., July 11, 2018

Our agenda is working for Iowa

U.S. President Donald Trump applauds in front of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (L) and Speaker of the House U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) during the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress inside the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., January 30, 2018. (Win McNamee/Reuters)

Mike Pence, guest columnist

When I visit Cedar Rapids today, I will deliver an important message to the working families of the Hawkeye State: Our agenda is working for America’s heartland — and we’re just getting started.

Simply look at our historic tax cuts. Last December, thanks to the strong support of Congressman Rod Blum and all of Iowa’s Republican leaders in the Congress, President Donald Trump signed into law the largest tax cuts and reform in American history.

Under our tax cuts, the first $24,000 of income for a married couple is now 100 percent income-tax free, nearly double what it was before. The child tax credit is also twice as high as before. And we cut out the core of Obamacare by eliminating the failed individual mandate tax.

Beyond tax cuts, our administration has eliminated 22 federal regulations for every new rule put on the books. We’ve unleashed affordable American energy to power our factories, farms, and homes. And our President is fighting tirelessly to break down trade barriers, so Iowa farmers and manufacturers have new opportunities to export and expand.

All told, the typical family of four in Iowa will save nearly $2,500 annually on their taxes. And the typical farm household will save more than $3,900 every year.

We also cut taxes on job creators of all sizes, so they can invest that money in Iowa jobs, Iowa workers, and Iowa’s future.

Already, more than 6 million Americans — including nearly 20,000 Iowans — have benefited from our tax cuts in the form of pay raises, better benefits, and cash bonuses. And in the years ahead, we estimate that annual wages for Iowa workers will rise by as much as $4,100.

These tax cuts would not have been possible without the Hawkeye State’s strong Republican leaders in our nation’s capital, including Congressman Blum. He stood with our President to put Eastern Iowa first, and the Hawkeye State is stronger for his leadership.

And beyond tax cuts, our administration has eliminated 22 federal regulations for every new rule put on the books. We’ve unleashed affordable American energy to power our factories, farms, and homes. And our President is fighting tirelessly to break down trade barriers, so Iowa farmers and manufacturers have new opportunities to export and expand.

The results of our agenda have been extraordinary. Since Election Day 2016, businesses have created nearly 3.7 million new jobs, including over 15,000 new jobs in the Hawkeye State, where the unemployment rate has also dropped by nearly a quarter.

But the truth is that the greatest source of Iowa’s strength comes not from your economy, but from your character. We’ve seen this over the past 10 years as the City of Five Seasons has come back stronger than ever before in the wake of the floods that devastated Cedar Rapids in 2008.

But there’s still more work to do, and thanks to the leadership of President Donald Trump and the efforts of Senator Grassley, Senator Ernst, and Congressman Blum, last week our administration announced $117 million in federal funds to build the long-overdue Cedar Rapids flood wall.

We will continue to deliver on our promises to the good people of Iowa. Our President made that clear once again on Monday when he nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be the next Justice on the Supreme Court. He will uphold all the God-given liberties enshrined in the Constitution of the United States.

Under President Donald Trump, the forgotten men and women of America are forgotten no more. And with the continued support of Iowa, I know: We’ll finish what we’ve started, and we’ll Make America Great Again.

• Mike Pence is Vice President of the United States.

Mike Pence, guest columnist

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